Jen chats with Bag Raiders about their new single ‘Beat Me To The Punch’

‘Beat Me To The Punch’ also features vocals from Grammy nominated singer Mayer Hawthorne – a triple dose of infectious and radiant electronic pop that dances across the spectrum! Bag Raiders enjoyed a rapturous reception to their self-titled debut album in 2010, a gold-certified, ARIA-nominated affair that included slices of euphoria like mega-hit ‘Shooting Stars’, ‘Way Back Home’ and ‘Sunlight’. After three worldwide tours, the band went on to release ‘Waterfalls’, ‘Friend Inside’, and ‘Checkmate’ – a 3 EP package which was received to great acclaim with every track landing in the TOP 10 on Hype Machine’s Popular Chart.

Bag Raiders are solidifying their comeback with the release of ‘Beat Me To The Punch’, andintend to keep the taps running with a string of Australian tour dates culminating in a second full-length record set for early 2017. Tickets available now from bagraiders.com

Hi, thanks for catching up with me to tell us all about your news.

You have been touring overseas for a while, are you looking forward to heading home and playing to Aussie punters again?

So much so!! It’s always a lot of fun playing to the home crowd. We had an absolute blast last time we came and this time it’s going to be the heat of summer, so we’re very hyped to be back playing some live AND DJ shows, it’s gonna be awesome.

Your single ‘Beat Me To The Punch’ is out tomorrow, on the eve before the release how are you feeling about all your hard work finally getting out there?

We work in the studio basically monday-friday and some weekends too, so it’s always a great feeling to have that work come out.. Even better when people respond positively to it, makes us feel like the work pays off!! We’re psyched.

The start of the song is so unique, then bursts into a great vibe. How long did it take to have the song ready for release from when you first started forming the initial idea?

The idea was actually floating around for a while but when it came to making it a reality it was actually pretty fast. It’s really quite a simple song so it was more about getting everything sounding just right. Playing around with a lot of synths and stuff. The fun stuff!!

What was it like working with Mayer Hawthorn? He is one pretty cool artist.

We’ve known him for years. He’s a great guy and a very talented artist. Working with him in the studio was a lot of fun, we had a lot of fun getting through all the vocal harmonies and ad-libs.. Lots of lols.

Was this song written from personal experience?

Personal experience yes, but a specific experience, no. Definitely been there a few times though, it’s surely something everyone can identify with

How does your writing process go? Do you both have an input?

Yes our writing process is different for every song. Some songs come completely from jamming together in the studio. Sometimes we write songs separately and then work them up together in the studio.. We don’t have isolated roles at all, we both do everything so yes sometimes it’s together, sometimes it’s separate, but always the final production is done together..

Were there any bands or artists in particular that had an influence on the song sound?

Not directly, but i would say that the sound is reminiscent of some of the records we love from the golden era of electronic funk, bands like Dazz Band, Zapp and Roger, Tyrone Brunson etc…

You guys not only do live shows but DJ as well at venues? Sounds like a great combination! What do you prefer to do or do you enjoy both equally?

Really we’re lucky to be able to do both. The live show is probably more fun for us and more rewarding since it’s all our own music we’re playing and people are really there just to see us. We have a lot of fun on stage and it’s great, but it can sometimes be exhausting after a long tour. Which is great because then we get to switch over to DJ-ing which is really fun and a lot easier for us to do and there’s a lot less luggage when your’e doing a DJ tour that’s for sure!

You posted on facebook your concerns about so many venues in Sydney closing, especially ones that allow young bands to get their start in their careers. Can you tell us about the Keep Sydney Open projector? Click here for more Details

Keep Sydney Open is an initiative that began as a reaction to some ridiculous laws which were poorly thought out as a reaction to some violent behavior occurring in Sydney’s popular Kings Cross nightlife district. The idea was basically, “if we remove the night life, we remove the violence”.. Venues have to close early, there are restrictions placed upon the public and the businesses. Lots of businesses are folding because they can’t operate at their most popular times. If it wasn’t for Sydney’s vibrant night life in the early 2000’s, we wouldn’t have a career. You can understand how important it is for the culture of an international city to have a healthy nightlife, and for the music culture of that city. Keep Sydney Open is aiming to have these laws reviewed and changed.

You guys are heading to Beyond the Valley festival and are playing live this time. Are you looking forward to that? Can you tell us about your last experience when you DJ’d there?

We can’t wait to come back. Last time we had an entire tent jumping and the show really blew us away. Not to mention the festival was fantastic and we got to see a lot of other great bands and the setting was beautiful. Really looking forward to this one!!

Can you tell our readers why they should make the effort to see your show?

Yes, it’s fun!! We’ve worked hard on it! You might see something you haven’t seen before!! The love of your life could be waiting for you there. If you don’t go you’ll never know. We’ll probably dance as much as you, and we’ll all hopefully have a pretty darn good time!!

What is next for you guys for next year?

Album time!! We’ve been working on a lot of stuff that nobody’s heard yet so we’re excited to get that out into the world. Probably a lot more shows when that comes out too!